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WHEN WISHES COME TRUE<br />
AT THE ZOO AND SAFARI PARK<br />
Orangutan Indah explores her creative side with paper and nontoxic paints.<br />
By Mary Sekulovich<br />
SENIOR EDITOR, DEVELOPMENT DEPARTMENT<br />
Conversations with keepers at the San Diego<br />
Zoo or Safari Park often begin with<br />
“What if. . . ” or “Did you know. . . ?” Stay a<br />
little longer and you might hear what they<br />
use to help enrich the lives of animals in<br />
their care. It could be a favorite scent for<br />
giant pandas, a giant bone for jaguars,<br />
large balls for elephants, tigers, and bears,<br />
or a veggie ladder for parrots. Even new<br />
mulch or plants in a habitat can interest<br />
animals and encourage them to investigate<br />
their home. They may also look for<br />
new—and often yummy—surprises, like<br />
raisins strewn among leaves for the bonobos<br />
or meatballs hidden for big cats.<br />
Our keepers may not have a fairy godmother<br />
who grants wishes, but they do have<br />
Photos by Ken Bohn<br />
SDZG PHOTOGRAPHER<br />
an amazing group of generous Zoo and Park<br />
donors who check out our Wish List each<br />
month. These supporters purchase items as<br />
diverse as Panda Cam equipment, a clock<br />
radio to entertain great apes, or hammocks<br />
for marmosets and clouded leopards. You<br />
can even feed a gorilla or lion for a day or a<br />
week. And don’t forget “snow day” enrichment<br />
for polar bears and giant pandas: one<br />
snowball is just $5 and fits most budgets.<br />
Looking back to November 19, 2006,<br />
when our first Wish List debuted on the<br />
Zoo’s website, we added up the numbers<br />
and realized that we’ve raised over<br />
$900,000 for our animals. More than 6,500<br />
donors have purchased close to 26,000<br />
items for the species they love! In the first<br />
10 minutes after the Animal Enrichment<br />
Holiday Wish List program went live that<br />
first year, we received 2 donations. Our first<br />
purchase was for an enrichment food puzzle<br />
for gorillas: $42. Great apes and other<br />
primates love manipulating the feeders until<br />
the treat falls out or they scoop it out—<br />
providing hours of stimulation and fun for<br />
these intelligent animals. Our most expensive<br />
item back then was for a necropsy table<br />
for the Zoo hospital: $25,000.<br />
So if you have ever wanted to buy a gift<br />
for your favorite cheetah, macaw, orangutan,<br />
or meerkat that will help them live a<br />
healthy lifestyle, you can visit the Wish List<br />
on the Zoo’s website at sandiegozoo.org/<br />
wishlist. Each month you will see who is<br />
celebrating a birthday and can choose from<br />
items that will make them and their keepers<br />
smile. And, yes, we do believe that animals<br />
can smile! n<br />
You can help secure the future for wildlife!<br />
Heritage Guild<br />
By creating a Charitable Gift Annuity or including the Zoological Society of San Diego<br />
in your will or trust, you can help protect wildlife. To receive more information,<br />
please call 619-557-3947 or visit our website at zoolegacy.org.<br />
SAN DIEGO ZOO GLOBAL n SANDIEGOZOO.ORG 43
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